1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method for reducing false alarms generated by a security system located in a commercial or residential property. More particularly, the invention is related to a method for reducing false alarms where a security system is programmed to automatically arm the security system at a predetermined time schedule and at least one person is still within the premises.
2. Background
Security systems, such as for homes and businesses, have become commonplace as people seek to protect themselves and their property. A security system includes any life, safety, and property protection system. A security system typically includes an installed security system and a central monitoring station. The installed security system includes a control panel, a user interface device and a plurality of sensors. The sensors can includes smoke, carbon monoxide, motion, and burglary. There are perimeter and interior sensors where each perimeter and interior sensor protects a specific zone within the premises. The perimeter sensors protect the external zones of the premises, e.g., outside, doors, windows. The interior sensors protect the internals of the premises, e.g. motion detection within the building.
The installed security system can operate in various modes of protection, such as arm or disarm. There are also various types of armed modes. For example, stay, stay-night, instant, away, and maximum are some of the operational modes for armed. Depending on the mode of operation, certain types of sensors are activated for detection. For example, in stay mode, the perimeter sensors will be activated to generate an alarm and the interior sensors not activated and any motion that would be detected will not generate an alarm. The arm-stay mode is used when a person is within the premises or a pet is within the premises but some protection is desired. An alarm would be generated if any of the window or entry point sensors detect motion, i.e., opened. In away mode, both the interior and perimeter sensors are armed. This mode is used when a person is away from the premises. An alarm would be generated if any of the sensors detect motion. Similar detection parameters can be configured for the other types of mode.
A user can modify the mode of operation using a user interface device such as a keypad. Additionally, a user can program the security system to schedule certain types of events such as automatically activating or deactivating of the mode of operation. Specifically, this feature can be used to automatically arm the system in stay mode at a specific scheduled time, automatically arm the system in away mode at a specific scheduled time, and automatically disarm the system at a specific scheduled time. This feature is particularly important in a commercial business where the business closes at a specific time everyday. The user will not have to remember to arm the security system daily. The user will select, using the user interface device, the type of event, input the time for that event and select how often the event should be repeated, i.e., daily, weekly, or monthly.
When the scheduled time is reached, the security system will perform the programmed event such as automatically arming the system. Optionally, prior to arming, the system can provide an auto-arm message within a warning period. The user interface device can emit an audible warning tone (message) or display a visual warning to anyone within the premises that the auto-arm is about to take place. However, the system can execute the auto arm even though there may be a person or pet still within the premises. This will result in one of the sensors, i.e., perimeter or interior, detecting motion. The sensors will transmit a signal to the control panel to generate an alarm. The control panel will transmit an alarm message to the central monitoring station. This generated alarm is a false alarm. However, by law, the central monitoring station will have to respond to the alarm even though it is a false alarm resulting in a waste of time and resources.
Accordingly, there is a need to be able to reduce the number of false alarms caused by automatically arming the system even though there is a person within the premises.